Dustin's Best of 2017, #19: Frank Turner - 'Songbook'

I know I'm breaking some kind of unspoken rule by including this one. [Edit: I'm aware that it's not unspoken at all] Yes, Songbook is mostly a compilation of older recordings: eighteen of its twenty-nine tracks are compiled from Turner's previous studio albums. And yes, out of the remaining eleven songs, ten of those are re-recorded versions of previously released songs (and six of those ten are re-recorded versions of songs that already appear on this album!). But you know what? Songbook is also great.

When it comes to Frank Turner, I'm not as big of a fan as everyone suspects. I think that when he write a good song, it's a really good song. But I don't think every song he writes is good. That's not a slight against him or anything, it's just that not all of his work resonates with me. Songbook, however, collects almost all of my favorite songs by him and I don't have to skip around songs or switch albums to hear other songs I like. It's essentially a "greatest hits" playlist that I didn't have to make myself and I love every second of it. Even the new track, "There She Is," is a (slow-burning) banger.

The album's second half is more for hardcore fans than newcomers. The new recording of "Photosynthesis" sets up some false expectations for how the rest of Songbook plays out because the tune keeps the same electric energy with some new fills and a different solo, while a majority of the re-recorded songs are simply played at a slower tempo with acoustic guitars or pianos. In that way, it's similar to Alkaline Trio's Damnesia, which also promised "re-imagined" songs but largely ended up delivering only slower versions of songs. The new "Long Live the Queen" is rollicking (a word I  never use) and terrific, similar to the sped-up, electric rendition of "Dan's Song" that Turner will sometimes perform live (oddly enough, "Dan's Song" doesn't show up in any form on Songbook).

In spite of my complaints about the second half (which I don't even really think of as complaints, merely observing what could have been, and musing that two of the re-recorded songs are better than the others), Songbook is easily my favorite Frank Turner album. I don't think there's a bad track on here.

You can stream Songbook below.